Three’s Company

When 18-year-old freshman Auset Champion was six months pregnant she went to the doctor for a regular ultrasound scan.
During the screening, the doctor discovered one baby, which was normal.
Then the doctor discovered another baby, so for a split second she though she was having twins, which is not out of the ordinary, because her family has a history of twins. Her grandfather was a twin, and one of her cousin’s has twins.
But when the doctor discovered a third baby, Champion was at a loss of words.
“I didn’t overreact when I found out the news,” Champion said. “I took it calmly. I was speechless.”
Monday morning at Willis-Knighton South & the Center for Women’s Health in Shreveport, Champion gave birth to a rare set of naturally conceived identical triplets.
The new additions to her family are boys: Averin Lamont weighs in at 3 pounds and 12 ounces, Amir Jaquez, 3 pounds and 8 ounces, and A’dez Lavonte, 3 pounds and 9.5 ounces.
The newborns were delivered by cesarean section by Dr. Betsy LeRoy, and then transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the hospital.
Dr. LeRoy said the surprising birth of identical triplets is so rare that the rate is to be “between 1 in 1 million or higher, and that it is so rare that no good data exists.”
“This is an exciting day for Ms. Champion and her family and we feel privileged to be a part of such a rare and historic delivery here at Willis-Knighten South Center for Women’s Health,” LeRoy said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
Initially Champion was apprehensive about the notion of mothering four kids, her newborn triplets and 22-month-old son Trenston Young.
“It’s exciting now,” Champion said. “At first I was stressed out and panicking because I didn’t know how I was going to do this. I didn’t know how I was going to take care of them all.”
The mother and her babies are reportedly doing well and doctors say that her newborns can be taken home from NICU when they are able to breathe and eat on their own.
Champion is currently a criminal justice major at GSU, but she said once she returns to school she will eventually switch majors.
Champion said she wants to be successful and “be something so my kids can look up to me.”